Like many countries around the world, the development of aviation infrastructure in Vietnam has failed to keep pace with growth in passenger numbers, the “Aviation Development - Vietnam Tourism” seminar held in northern Thanh Hoa city by the FLC Group on July 26 heard.

In attendance were representatives from ministries and departments and more than 500 enterprises, organizations and airline agents.

Experts agreed that the government has offered more support to airlines in their early days in terms of capital and infrastructure than in other comparable countries.

Regarding the slow pace of infrastructure development, Mr. Nguyen Thien Tong, former Head of the Aeronautical Engineering Department at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, said there should be a national policy on civil aviation as the sector has a major impact on the economy. “The aviation sector was not privately owned in the past, but now the private sector is heavily involved in the field,” he said. “There must therefore be strong and clear policies to attract investment in aviation development.”

Mr. Le Anh Tuan, Head of the Infrastructure Department at the Development Strategy Institute, said that transport infrastructure now accounts for 30 per cent of Vietnam’s priority projects, with aviating accounting for some 20 per cent of transport infrastructure, so the government is particular interested in developing aviation infrastructure.

Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, former Deputy Head of the Economic Committee of the National Assembly, told the seminar that Vietnam needs to mobilize different sources of capital to develop new airports and that aviation development depends greatly on tourism development.

Speaking about the FLC Group’s preparations for launching Bamboo Airways, Mr. Trinh Van Quyet, Chairman of the FLC Group, said that in order to meet the future requirements of the aviation industry the Group also intend to invest in airports.

Vietnam currently has four operating airlines - Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Jetstar Pacific, and Vasco, with Vietnam Airlines owning Vasco and 70 per cent of Jetstar and flying into and out of 28 airports, including Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat, Da Nang, and Cam Ranh International Airports.